Stelvio National Park (30th July – 3rd August 2017)

For the first few days of this year’s Alpine adventure, we headed to the beautiful Stelvio National Park in the Südtirol region of northern Italy. Based in Trafoi, we enjoyed three day walks to acclimatise and then tackled the easy glaciated peak of Monte Cevedale.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/e4VhbP2UT8ocMoXA9

Minehead (22nd-25th June 2017)

I visited my parents in Minehead for a long weekend. We enjoyed local walks from from Withypool, Wimbleball Lake and Lynton.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/uzkptmFrHWfqX9qb9

Some sunny Shropshire hills (17th-18th June 2017)

I spent a sweltering sunny weekend exploring some of the hills of western Shropshire, including the Marilyns of Corndon Hill, Heath Mynd and Stiperstones, and numerous Tumps.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/LDaAhPBNKho6nUBn7

Glen Affric, Glen Shiel and Glen Nevis (27th May – 4th June 2017

With Ruth suffering from a knee injury, much of my trip to the Highlands for Spring Bank Holiday week this year was solo. I therefore opted to focus on collecting some of my unbagged Munro Tops around Glen Affric and Glen Shiel, then relocated to Glen Shiel for the final couple of days to bag Corbetts and Grahams in Glen Suileag and Glen Roy. In the middle of the trip, I met up with Ian and Emma for a wet day on Beinn Fhada and a glorious sunny one on The Saddle.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/LbLQYjePCfiPhAoo7

Ian and Emma above the Forcan Ridge and Glen Shiel

Some South Staffordshire hills (14th May 2017)

I made a day trip to South Staffordshire (right down to the west of Birmingham) to tick off my last few Staffordshire Tumps, culminating on the very scenic ridge of Kinver Edge.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qaaogK5Y9MNtkZfr8

The Sheepwalks, with Brown Clee Hill beyond

The Roaches (7th May 2017)

I went for a walk on The Roaches with my cousin Xavier.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/W4oedRf3datGrEFe6

Staffordshire Tumps around Kidsgrove (23rd April 2017)

I ticked off a few more Staffordshire Tumps, this time around Kidsgrove. Only eight now remain to be bagged, which should be doable in a single day at the southern end of the county.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/MTBKCurC4Y1w2XPi6

Wedgwood’s Monument, which was originally an obelisk four times the height, until damaged by a storm in 1976!

Angus and Braemar (14th-18th April 2017)

I spent Easter weekend in the southern Cairngorms, bagging a few new Munro Tops and Corbetts, and re-visiting a few Munros.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/XcT2zhhvQnBbYviA9

Parents’ visit (8th-9th April 2017)

My parents visited for a few days. At the weekend we enjoyed glorious sunny weather for two great walks in the Peak District.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/XEwfguNVeTZi5iU87

Lake District (24th-26th March 2017)

With a sunny forecast, I made an impromptu weekend trip to the Lake District. On the Saturday, I joined Andrena and Ruth for a long, snowy ridge walk along the Eastern Fells from Ambleside to St John’s in the Vale. On the Sunday, I walked solo from Langdale.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/tfqaZdNUGDwN9Ac86

Black Forest and Swizterland (15th-19th March 2017)

I visited Alex and Ausma for another excellent long weekend, spending a day walking in the Black Forest then three days walking and snowshoeing in the Swiss Alps, based in Küblis.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9XjZKNESAyDagxwBA

Tumps around Leek (4th March 2017)

I spent a day in the countryside around Leek, ticking off eight more Staffordshire Tumps in warm, sunny weather.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yT3PqtibG8dqWfJWA

Gun and The Roaches, from the summit of Revedge Hill

Visiting Dave and Jo in Skipton (17th-19th February 2017)

I visited Dave and Jo in Skipton for the weekend, taking the opportunity to bag three of their nearby Marilyns: Sharp Haw, Ilkley Moor and Boulsworth Hill.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Y8JWNjG2H16Crgex9

Dave and Jo at the summit of Ilkley Moor

Visiting Ian and Emma in Kendal (10th-12th February 2017)

I visited Ian and Emma in Kendal for the weekend. We walked on the Coniston Fells (from Dunnerdale) on the Saturday and on Wansfell on the Sunday morning. I also had time to bag the Marilyn of Claife Heights before heading home.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/e4YpT12gXWCUZntw5

Edale skyline (4th February 2017)

I made the most of a sunny winter day by heading to the Dark Peak for an anticlockwise 20-mile round of the Edale skyline, starting in Hope.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bUYWRNH5anSfpDZw9

Tumps near Stafford (28th January 2017)

I spent a few hours visiting a few Tumps west and northwest of Stafford; they’re not close enough together to sensibly connect on foot so a series of short walks and intervening drives was the order of the day!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Pov6ehkarERRKTFT7

Tumps near Keele (7th January 2017)

I spent rather a grey day bagging a few more Staffordshire Tumps, starting in Keele village.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GMHBDDSnYY1oMzWh6

Misty as I crossed the M6 near Keele village

Mull (27th December 2016 – 3rd January 2017)

This year’s Youngish Duffers’ New Year Trip went across the sea to the Isle of Mull, where we stayed in the comfortable Salen Pier House. Reasonable weather, for the most part, allowed me to visit eight of the island’s nine peaks over 2000ft.

https://goo.gl/photos/URaEP3mHhYtEz3Bs7

Alex, Alex, Ruth, Michael and Simon at the summit of Beinn Fhada

Minehead (22nd-26th December 2016)

As usual, I spent Christmas with my parents in Minehead, and we did a few short local walks.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/zhEVYGU9mneSimdt8

Brecon Beacons (26th-27th November 2016)

I made an “emergency” weekend trip to the Brecon Beacons to re-complete my Nuttalls (English and Welsh 2000ft hills) following the recent promotion of Craig Gwaun Taf to the list. As well as the re-completion, I was rewarded with a spectacular cloud inversion around the high Beacons, and some snow on the tops. On the Sunday I bagged a few Marilyns on the western edge of the Black Mountains.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gGaRYjRrMHF9gbkG9